First Rhubarb Pie of the Season

Better late than never.

I usually make my first rhubarb pie of the season early April.

This year, thanks to a snowy February and colder temperatures

the rhubarb was slow growing.

Early this week, I made two batches of

a quick puff pastry.  

Basically just used one cup of butter in three cups

of flour  for each batch.

I made the dough just before bed and put it in the fridge overnight.

Baked the rhubarb pie Thursday morning.
Braided lattice crust. 

And we had it for dessert that night.

Served warm with ice cream.

This is my favourite rhubarb pie recipe.

Rhubarb Pie

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Adjusted from Madame Benoit's Rhubarb Pie - 1978

Pastry to double crust

4 to 5 cups of rhubarb depending on size of pie plate.

2 eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons of flour

pinch of salt

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar

Heat oven to 450°F

Roll out dough for bottom crust and line pie plate.

Beat Eggs and then stir in both sugars, flour, lemon juice, salt

and vanilla. Mix in Rhubarb.

Pour into pie shell.

Roll out remaining pastry and cut into strips. Weave pastry strips

over top to create a lattice effect. Brush with milk and sprinkle

with one to two tablespoons of sugar.

Option: cut out leaves either by hand or with a leaf cookie

cutter, place over filling. Brush with the milk and sprinkle with

sugar.

Place pie on bottom shelf and bake for 15 minutes. Move pie to

middle shelf and reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for 25

to 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Quick Puff Pastry

=================

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter

pinch of baking powder (optional)

(My grandmother always put a pinch in her pastry doughs)

3/4 tsp salt

Ice Water

.

Using a sharp knife, cut butter into little cubes. 1/4" to 1/2"

pieces

Place flour in a large bowl.

Add salt and baking powder

Add the butter

and moisten with ice water

Mix with a fork until the flour starts to come

together. Add more water as needed.

It will be a shaggy mess.

Tip out on to a floured board.

Using hands, pat mixture together and flatten.

Using hands or rolling pin, pat into a rectangle shape.

Fold into thirds, turn and roll out about 12" long

and 8" to 10" wide. Fold into thirds again.

Do this four times. And do it quickly.

You don't want the butter to soften.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a least one hour.

When ready to use, cut dough into two pieces.

Shape each into flattened disk and roll out.

Also See Julia Child's recipe for 

a fast French Puff Pastry

(Recipe uses more butter and is made in

a heavy duty mixer)